Company Matches

Baby panda rally: Zoo's new arrival boosts Tokyo restaurant stocks

Call it "pandanomics."

News of the birth of a panda at a Tokyo zoo sent shares in two local restaurant operators soaring.

Ueno Zoo announced Monday that its giant panda Shin Shin gave birth to at least one cub -- the zoo's first in five years. That's prompted investors to bet on a baby panda boom for businesses in the area as visitors flock to see the new arrival.

Totenko, which specializes in Chinese restaurants, and Seiyoken, known for French dining, both have major branches near the zoo. Totenko surged as much as 38% in Tokyo trading Monday, ending the day 6.7% higher. Seiyoken jumped as much as 11.3% at one point, before closing up 6.5%.

Female giant panda Shin Shin in Tokyo's Ueno Zoo.

The two companies' shares have been on a tear since news broke in February that Shin Shin and her partner, Ri Ri, were mating. Totenko's shares have risen about 30% since then; Seiyoken's are up around 21%.

The pandas are a boon for Japan's tourism industry. According to one estimate cited by business publication Nikkei, the economic impact of the baby panda could be as much as 26.7 billion yen ($243 million).

Ueno Zoo first hosted pandas in 1972 after the signing of a peace treaty between Japan and China. Ling Ling, the last inhabitant, died in 2008.